January 15, 2017

Subscribe

Die-cast: Chevy Corvette C7 Z06

by Mark Savage

Autoart creates a stellar Corvette C7 Z06 …

Vettes are cool even if their current buyers are skewing gray and retired.

Still, you gotta have a little coin to own a new Vette, especially the Z06 model, one of the racier versions. A new one will cost you $79,500, so that’s why Autoart’s 1/18 scale version seems so reasonable at $160. Plus this one won’t run up your insurance payment of deplete your monthly fuel allowance!

Autoart now has several color choices in the newest Chevrolet Corvette, the C7, in Z06 trim. Our test model was a brilliant medium metallic blue. Some might call it electric blue.

The History

We all know the story. Chevy launched Corvette, a two-seat sports car in 1953. It was underpowered and not a big hit initially. But as its power grew, and its refinement with it, the Vette became a go-to car for club racers across North America and then serious racers who put what are now high-horse beasts, through their paces at the 24 Hours of LeMans in France.

Now in its seventh generation, the C7 is as refined, yet racy as any street-legal sports car out there, and a darn sight less pricey than many. The C7 debuted as a 2014 model and rumors persist that the next version will be mid-engine powered, but the C7 already abandoned Corvette’s roll-away headlights.

The newest Corvette offers a 6.2-liter V8 that creates 455 horsepower and comes with carbon fiber hood and composite body panels. Its roof panel also is removable. The racier Z06 launched for the 2015 model year cranks an amazing 650 horsepower with its supercharged V8.

The Model

Autoart delivers another beautiful composite model with a fine high-gloss, deep finish worthy of the real world Vette. And this one is not a sealed body model, so the hood, doors and trunk all open. Excellent!

The star here is the well chiseled body with its crisp creases emphasizing the Vette’s muscular hood and profile. Unlike older cars with all their chrome trim, this is trimmed in black composite, such as the black grille and grated vent in the hood and side fender vents that also feature Z06 logos. All the windows feature black trim and the rear spoiler with its tiny extended lip is black. Very racy.

Headlights reflect the real car’s multiple halogen projector bulbs that give it a space-age look along with boomerang shaped LED around the lenses’ lower edges. If only they really lit up!

In back are four realistic white taillights and the V-shaped Vette logo on the trunk’s face and black rear bumper. Below that are four chrome exhaust outlets.

Under the hood is the massive Chevy V8, but as with all modern cars it’s mostly hidden by a huge shroud. You can still see the radiator, fan and some liquids containers though.

Inside the car features blue leather-look bucket seats that complement the gorgeous exterior color. And the black and blue dash displays a realistic recreation of the gauges, dials and buttons that load up the Corvette’s high-tech dash. There’s blue trim on the door panels and the steering wheel has an accurate depiction of control buttons.

The rear hatch window includes orange stripes representing a rear window defroster and there are two big exterior mirrors in body-matching blue. Autoart even includes the small red reflectors just beyond the rear wheels on the rear quarter panel.

Nicely sculpted and executed this C7 would love to be doing burnouts in your Vette collection.